Chris Pratt Under Fire for Referencing His Faith While Reflecting on Jesus’ Experiences: ‘They Hated Him Too’

Just call him Christ Pratt.

Last Monday, the actor compared himself to Jesus while discussing the trials and tribulations of being a Christian in the modern age.

Speaking with Page Six at a Cinema Society screening of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Chris Pratt explained how he feels about commenters who criticize his faith. He illustrated his point with a quote from the Bible.

“If I was of this world, they would love me just like that but as it is, I’ve chosen out of this world. That’s John 15:18 through 20,” he said.

He also reflected that Jesus must have had an experience similar to his own.

“That’s the way it is, nothing new, 2,000 years ago they hated him, too,” he said.

Chris Pratt On Becoming “the Face of Religion”

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How did the Jurassic World actor become such a controversial figure? Pratt told Men’s Health in 2022 that it all boiled down to one acceptance at the MTV Movie and TV Awards. Having received the Generation Award, the star took the stage and said, “God is real. God loves you. God wants the best for you.”

Despite the content of his speech, Chris Pratt claims that he never expected his words to have such a lasting effect on his reputation.

“I didn’t know that I would kind of become the face of religion when really I’m not a religious person,” he said. “I think there’s a distinction between being religious—adhering to the customs created by man, oftentimes appropriating the awe reserved for who I believe is a very real God—and using it to control people, to take money from people, to abuse children, to steal land, to justify hatred.”

However, fans started having strong feelings about the actor’s religious beliefs long before he delivered his comments at the awards show. Back in 2019, Elliot Page called him out on Twitter for attending Hillsong Church, which Page described as “infamously anti-LGBTQ.”

At the time, Pratt argued that his church “opens their doors to absolutely everyone,” according to People. Speaking of his faith, which he differentiated from religious practices, he said, “This is what guides me in my life. He is a God of Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness. Hate has no place in my or this world.”

When asked how he deals with negative criticism nowadays, the actor told Page Six, “Like a rhino, stick your head down, you keep driving forward, you have thick skin and if anyone gets in your way, you stick the horn right up their ass!”

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